Zhaang Ye passed the second Puppet and raced forward. After traveling over nine hundred zhang, he heard a tremendous BOOM in the distance—even louder than the sound he had made when he struck the Puppet earlier. The terrifying shockwave was so powerful that it sent the clouds and mist below the path churning violently.

’Hmm? What terrifying strength!’ Zhaang Ye’s heart stirred. He strained his eyes to look and saw Situ Houtu, dressed in gray, flying backward in retreat on another path several hundred zhang away. Standing before him was a Puppet bathed in a hazy gray light.

Seeing Situ Houtu, a flicker of joy ignited in Zhaang Ye’s heart.

Situ Houtu’s strength was unfathomably deep, and his Body Technique was simply divine. After passing through the monstrous ants’ nest, Zhaang Ye had chased him frantically, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the man. To think that this very same Situ Houtu was now being held up by the third Puppet on the path.

At the same time Zhaang Ye saw Situ Houtu, Situ Houtu saw him too.

The loud noise from Zhaang Ye’s clash with the Puppet had secretly startled Situ Houtu. He had assumed that Lan Haohan, renowned for his strength, had caught up. He never imagined that the one to reach the third Puppet alongside him would be the unknown Zhaang Ye.

Situ Houtu gave Zhaang Ye a long, hard look and thought, ’I was so sure I’d take first place in this True Hall test without any competition. I never expected this unknown boy to pass the monstrous ants’ nest and two Puppets to catch up so quickly. I have to get past this Puppet fast, or he’ll pull ahead!’

Zhaang Ye returned Situ Houtu’s long, hard look, thinking, ’This Situ Houtu is hailed as a once-in-a-century genius, with exceptionally formidable strength. Since I’ve made it here, I want to see for myself just how incredible this genius truly is. I have to get past this third Puppet, pull ahead of Situ Houtu, and maintain my lead to the very end!’

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment before they both looked away. Though the exchange was brief, both could see the intense fighting spirit in the other’s gaze.

Zhaang Ye shot forward several dozen zhang, and there before him stood a hazy, gray Puppet.

Zhaang Ye’s expression turned grim as he sized up the Puppet. It was entirely gray and hazy, and its frame was a third larger than the previous two. Its weight, he estimated, was at least 100,000 jin.

The Puppet was clad in a set of tattered Battle Armor. Zhaang Ye could clearly sense an aura of decay emanating from it—the kind that only develops over a millennium. It felt as if anything that came into contact with it would instantly rot away.

In addition to the aura of decay, the Puppet exuded another presence.

Death Qi.

A faint Death Qi.

’With this kind of Death Qi, this Puppet must have killed countless people...’ Zhaang Ye gasped inwardly. ’Such a terrifying Puppet. No wonder even Situ Houtu couldn’t get past it immediately.’

At this thought, Zhaang Ye recalled the tremendous boom from earlier. ’This Situ Houtu really is something else. The Puppet’s power is so immense, yet he managed to clash with it head-on and come out unscathed. That kind of strength is truly astonishing. I need to test this Puppet’s limits quickly, or Situ Houtu will surely leave me behind...’

With that thought, Zhaang Ye subtly regulated his internal aura, drew his Heavy Saber, and suddenly strode forward.

Zhaang Ye was still fifteen zhang away when the hazy gray Puppet instantly reacted. With a sudden movement of its enormous arm and a loud KRAK, a Long Spear as thick as the mouth of a bowl materialized in its hand.

The Long Spear was pitch-black and its surface was faintly marred by countless impact marks, giving it an ancient and weathered appearance.

The instant the Long Spear was in the Puppet’s grasp, it swung it out with a VWOOM.

The Puppet’s swing was unadorned and simple, not even appearing particularly fast. But the instant the Long Spear moved, a murderous aura erupted in a radius of several dozen zhang. A profound sense of crisis washed over Zhaang Ye. With no time to think, his Heavy Saber transformed into a streak of black light as he slashed forward.

SCRAPE—

Zhaang Ye felt his Heavy Saber connect with a terrifying power. That fearsome energy slammed into him, vicious and unstoppable, like a behemoth on a crazed rampage.

The Dragon Elephant Skill in Zhaang Ye’s body flared to life. A faint golden light erupted from his Heavy Saber, coating both the blade and its Blade Tip. With a bizarre shriek of scraping metal, his Heavy Saber acted like a ship sailing upstream, forcefully cleaving the terrifying power in two.

Though he had cloven the terrifying power in two with a single move, Zhaang Ye was not unscathed. He was sent staggering back over ten zhang by the force of the blow, and a wisp of Death Qi, tinged with the remnant aura of the ancient Wilderness, surged into his body.

This Death Qi, imbued with the aura of the Wilderness, was terrifyingly potent. The moment it entered his body, Zhaang Ye felt his Dantian violently quake. He was just about to circulate his Cultivation Technique and spit out a mouthful of blood to expel the wisp of Death Qi when his Dragon Elephant Skill suddenly activated of its own accord.

After absorbing six threads of Elephant Power from the Ancient Mammoth, the Dragon Elephant Power that Zhaang Ye cultivated through his Dragon Elephant Skill now faintly carried a trace of the ancient Wilderness’s aura. As the Dragon Elephant Skill began to circulate, it instantly suppressed the wisp of Death Qi, and the churning qi and blood within Zhaang Ye’s body also swiftly calmed.

"Hmm?"

Zhaang Ye felt the transformation within him and couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight. He had a faint feeling that even though he had already refined and fused with the Six-Thread Ancient Elephant Power, it still seemed particularly drawn to the aura of the Wilderness. The wisp of Death Qi, with its own Wilderness aura, had been suppressed and devoured by his Dragon Elephant Power in the span of just a dozen breaths.

’It seems these six threads of Elephant Power hold some hidden, wondrous uses. If I can figure them out, my Dragon Elephant Skill will probably soon break through to the Mid-stage Fifth Layer!’ Zhaang Ye was secretly overjoyed.

"Hmm?"

Situ Houtu had been watching Zhaang Ye from a distance. A slight smile touched his lips when he saw Zhaang Ye take the Puppet’s aerial strike head-on. This Puppet’s power far surpassed that of the first and second. Its Long Spear could unleash a terrifying force containing Death Qi, and even the slightest contact with it was a serious problem. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Although Situ Houtu had also weathered a blow from the Puppet, his own qi and blood had been sent into turmoil. The wisp of Death Qi had burrowed through his meridians, and even with his profound Cultivation, it had taken him considerable effort to expel it from his body.

Zhaang Ye’s Cultivation was far inferior to his own. And while Zhaang Ye had Body Refining Techniques, they were less effective against this type of Death Qi. Situ Houtu had been certain that Zhaang Ye would be grievously injured and spit up blood after taking the Puppet’s blow. But to his surprise, after taking the hit, Zhaang Ye merely retreated a few zhang without even spitting up a single drop of blood.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s performance, Situ Houtu’s heart sank. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He fixed his gaze on the Puppet more than twenty zhang away and began to advance, one step at a time.

Zhaang Ye’s ability to withstand the Puppet’s aerial strike proved his strength was extraordinary. Faced with such a rival, Situ Houtu knew that if he wanted to get ahead, he would have to take a risk.

Just as Situ Houtu was feeling surprised, far away in the great hall a thousand li away, the four Hall Masters were also rather stunned to see Zhaang Ye take the Puppet’s aerial strike and emerge completely unfazed.

The Second Hall Master remarked with a hint of surprise, "Thousands of years ago, this was a Combat Puppet designed specifically for war. It has killed countless foes, and its weapon is steeped in Death Qi. Zhaang Ye just took a direct hit from it without even spitting up blood. That boy’s physical body is truly tough."

The other three Hall Masters nodded in agreement.

Others might not know the Puppet’s strength, but as Hall Masters of the True Hall, they certainly did. Thousands of years ago, this Puppet’s strength was equivalent to a master at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer. After several thousand years, it was considerably damaged, and the weapon in its hand no longer had its former power. But even so, a single strike from it still carried the force of over 150,000 jin.

With such immense power, compounded by the Death Qi accumulated from countless slaughters, the Puppet was exceptionally formidable. Although the aerial strike it had just unleashed wasn’t its strongest, the Death Qi it contained made it extraordinarily dangerous. For Zhaang Ye to block it with his Heavy Saber and emerge completely unharmed was a surprise to all the Hall Masters.

After witnessing Zhaang Ye’s performance time and again, the Hall Masters had already tried to estimate his strength as highly as possible. Yet, Zhaang Ye continued to exceed their expectations, surprising them at every turn.

A look of excitement appeared on the Fourth Hall Master’s face. "Zhaang Ye took the Puppet’s aerial strike head-on, and Situ Houtu also weathered one of its blows. Heh, it seems both of them are incredibly powerful. Do you think they’ll be able to get past this third Puppet within two days?"

The Second Hall Master shook his head. "How could that be possible? This third Puppet is incredibly tough. In the past, the most talented young genius we’ve seen still took three days to find its weakness and pass. Although Situ Houtu and Zhaang Ye both have their own means, it’s absolutely impossible for them to get through in just two days."

The Great Hall Master and the Third Hall Master both nodded in agreement. This third Puppet was no easy obstacle. They would be more than happy if Situ Houtu and Zhaang Ye could manage to pass within three days.

Without even realizing it, the Hall Masters had begun to speak of Zhaang Ye and Situ Houtu in the same breath, comparing them as equals. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)